Removable and reusable device for object tracking

• US 9,552,569 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Quan, Adrian Christopher, Lewis, Kimberly Anne, Holland, Jamie Marie, Bathurst, Allan Scott, Lauka, Wesley Scott, Russell, Ryan Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/864,344
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/375, 235/487, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Techniques for providing a removable and reusable tracking device feature in an inventory management system may be described. For example, an inventory transfer request may be received for transferring inventory within a facility. A first indication may be received that indicates one or more reusable tracking devices are associated with the inventory included in the inventory transfer request. Information about the inventory transfer request may be mapped to the association of the one or more reusable tracking devices and the inventory. In an embodiment, a location of the inventory may be determined based on location information provided by the associated one or more reusable tracking devices. The mapping between the inventory transfer information to the one or more reusable tracking devices and the inventory may be removed based at least in part on the location information indicating that the inventory is located at a particular location within the facility.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, an order for an item stored in a workspace;

providing first instructions, to an associate at a workstation that is located in the workspace, to attach a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to the item, wherein the RFID tag is removable and reusable and is configured to provide a first signal when attached to the item, the RFID tag being attached to the item by at least use of a clip associated with the RFID tag, the clip including at least a contact sensor configured to provide the first signal indicating an active state when attached to the item and to provide a second signal indicating an idle state when unattached to the item;

receiving unique identification information for the RFID tag and the item based at least in part on the associate scanning the RFID tag and the item with a user device at the workstation;

associating, by the computer system, the RFID tag and the item based at least in part on the unique identification information for the RFID tag and the item;

mapping, by the computer system, the order with the RFID tag and the item;

receiving an indication that the item and the associated RFID tag are located in a particular location of the workspace based at least in part on the first signal provided by the associated RFID tag;

providing second instructions to remove the RFID tag from the item based at least in part on the indication of the particular location;

disassociating, by the computer system, the RFID tag from the item based at least in part on the indication thereby removing the mapping of the RFID tag with the item and the order, wherein the RFID tag is configured to provide the second signal when unattached to the item;

receiving, by the computer system, another order for another item stored in the workspace; and

providing third instructions, to an associate at a workstation that is located in the workspace, to attach the RFID tag to the other item, wherein the RFID tag is configured to provide the first signal when attached to the other item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is associated with one or more items stored in the workspace in response to an inventory transfer request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the first instructions and the second instructions include utilizing one or more outputs associated with the RFID tag including visual outputs, audio outputs, or vibration outputs.

4. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory in communication with the processor, the memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to at least;

receive inventory transfer information for inventory stored in a workspace;

receive a first indication that a removable and reusable tracking device is associated with the inventory based at least in part on the inventory transfer information, the first indication provided by the removable and reusable tracking device and corresponding to an active state, the removable and reusable tracking device attached to the inventory by at least use of a clip associated with the removable and reusable tracking device, the clip including at least a contact sensor configured to provide the first indication of the active state when attached to the inventory and to provide a second indication of an idle state when unattached to the inventory;

map the inventory transfer information to the removable and reusable tracking device and the inventory based at least in part on the first indication;

determine a location of the inventory within the workspace based at least in part on location information associated with the removable and reusable tracking device;

remove the mapping of the removable and reusable tracking device with the inventory transfer information and the inventory based at least in part on the location information indicating that the inventory is located at a particular location within the workspace; and

receive the second indication that the removable and reusable tracking device is not associated with the inventory, the second indication provided by the removable and reusable tracking device and corresponding to the idle state.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the removable and reusable tracking device includes one or more contact sensors, the first indication being provided in response to the one or more contact sensors being interrupted.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the location information associated with the removable and reusable tracking device is received via a wireless communication network.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein determining the location of the inventory within the workspace is further based at least in part on identification information provided by at least one of an access point in the workspace, a portion of the workspace, an inventory transfer station within the workspace, a camera within the workspace, a machine readable identifier scanner associated with the workspace, a user device associated with the workspace, or an operator in the workspace.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the removable and reusable tracking device is associated with one or more sensors configured to provide the first indication corresponding to the active state when attached to the inventory and to provide the second indication corresponding to the idle state when unattached to the inventory.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computer system to at least provide feedback to the removable and reusable tracking device based at least in part on the determined location of the inventory within the workspace and information associated with the inventory, the feedback indicating that the inventory is currently incorrectly located within the workspace.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the feedback provided to the removable and reusable tracking device includes utilizing at least one of audio feedback, visual feedback, or vibration feedback.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, configure the computer system to perform operations comprising:

maintaining state information for one or more removable and reusable tracking devices, the state information indicating an association with inventory that is stored within a workspace;

associating a particular removable and reusable tracking device and a particular inventory item to an inventory transfer request based at least in part on the state information provided by the particular removable and reusable tracking device, the state information indicating that the particular removable and reusable tracking device is attached to the particular inventory item, the particular removable and reusable tracking device being attached to the particular inventory item by at least use of a clip associated with the particular removable and reusable tracking device, the clip including at least a contact sensor configured to provide a first signal indicating an active state for the state information when attached to the particular inventory item and to provide a second signal indicating an idle state for the state information when unattached to the particular inventory item;

tracking a location of the particular inventory item within the workspace based at least in part on information associated with the particular removable and reusable tracking device that is attached to the particular inventory item;

disassociating the particular removable and reusable tracking device from the particular inventory item and the inventory transfer request based at least in part on the information indicating that the particular inventory item is located at a particular location within the workspace; and

updating the state information for the particular removable and reusable tracking device based at least in part on the particular location of the particular inventory item within the workspace, the updated state information indicating that the particular removable and reusable tracking device is removed from the particular inventory item.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular removable and reusable tracking device is configured to utilize one or more environmental output/input sensors and one or more visual or audio indicators.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further configure the computer system to generate a distress signal based at least in part on the location of the particular inventory item within the workspace, the distress signal configured to be output by the particular removable and reusable tracking device and indicating an incorrect location of the particular inventory item within the workspace.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further configure the computer system to maintain a history log of locations of the particular inventory item within the workspace.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular removable and reusable tracking device is configured to capture one or more environmental metrics of a specified area around the attached particular inventory item.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions further configure the computer system to maintain a respective range for each environmental metric of the one or more environmental metrics based at least in part on the particular inventory item.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions further configure the computer system to provide feedback to the particular removable and reusable tracking device based at least in part on the captured one or more environmental metrics and the respective range for each environmental metric.